Navigational sounding-machine.



\ No. 852,810. PATBNTBD MAY '1, 1907.

w. THOMSON & P. w. GLARK. 'NAVIGATI'ONAL soumme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1903.

N0.;s52,81o g PATENTED MAY 7,1907. w. THOMSON & P. w. CLARK.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATESWFATENT orrron.

WILLIAM THOMSON, OF LARGS, AND FRANCIS WOOD CLARK, OF

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDlNG-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Anplicatiqn filed September 11, 1903. Serial No. 172,814.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM THOMSON, Baron Kelvin of Largs, and FRANCIS WOOD CLARK, of 18 Cambridge street, Glasgow, Scotland, foreman, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Navigational Sounding lIachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to navigational sounding machines, has for its object to simplify and render more efficient the mechanism for braking the drum, and pre venting vibration consequent upon the rapid rotation of the drum while paying out the wire during sounding operations. It has further for its object a better means of connecting the handle to the driving spindle of the machine.

The frame or stand has been designed to facilitate the work of sounding. The reel is placed at the most convenient height say a distance of 26 inches from the deck to the center of reel for relieving or winding in the line. There is provided in the frame an efficient and simple guard for preventing the wire from slipping off the reel. The frame is so constructed that by the removal of a few screws all the working parts can be removed for examination or repair without necessitating the unfixing of the frame from the deck.

The frame may be either round or square.

It may be constructed either of wood or metal. WVe prefer to construct it of metal. It has a slot formed on either side the length of which is equal to one half of the diameter of the reel. This slot allows the spindle, sockets and brake to pass complete as a whole into position. The bottom of the slot is finished in a V shape on which the spindle revolves. On the top of the frame is bolted our usual catch for holding the brake. This catch fits into a slot cut in the cap. On the under side of the cap is fitted a circular piece of wood which fits the outer edge of the reel. This circular piece of wood has attached upon it on each side metal segments which come down the outer side of the wheel, and act as a guide for keeping the wire on the reel. There are also fitted inside the frame three disks of wood for increasing the rigidity of the frame. The upper disk has two grooves which receive the lower edge of the reel to prevent the wire slipping off the drum.

In order that our invention may be properly understood and readily carried into effect, we have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings, of which Figure 1 is a part section and part front elevation of a navigational sounding machine formed of metal and embodying our invention. Fig. 1 is a detail View. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of machine also formed of metal and of square section with tapered sides, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the same, all hereafter more fully described.

The frame or stand which is marked A with reference to Figs. 1 and. 2 is of circular section but as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is of square formation. The frame is formed with a slot B which is formed on either side of the machine, illustrated on Fig. l, and is of a convenient depth to permit of the spindle C socket D and brake E being passed in position within the interior of the frame. The cap or top F is secured to the frame A by means of two screws a b on either side thereof while two screws a b Fig. 1 are used to fix in position the washer D which holds the reel spindle C in position and prevents its displacement. To the under side of the cap or top F of the machine is mounted a segmental piece of wood G which circumferentially surrounds the reel H. Segmental pieces of metal 9 depend from the said cap or top F and shroud the outer side of the said reel 11 and act as a guard for keeping the wire in position thereon. The hub of the drum or reel H is carried on a ring or core of lignum vitae h which is rigidly driven within an oval hole of the hub while the inner diameter of the ring or core is circular and is carried loosely on the spindle C.

In carrying the invention into practice the recess or hollow formed on either side of the drum or reel H by the web h is turned or otherwise planed in order to receive disks of lignum vitae I and I on each side carried on the spindle C of the drum or reel H which acts as the brake. The spindle C is screw threaded and upon the screw 0 of the spindle is mounted a nut J with the usual arm brake E for locking the brake. The cylindric part of the nut J is of conveniently large diameter and this is seen in Fig. 3. Its inner surface bears or may be made to bear against a pair of coach-springs or plate-springs i, i let into the outer or lateral side of the disk of lignum vitae at opposite points, as seen in Fig. 1. The brake action of the drum is accomplished by pressure of the disks of lignum vitae I and I on the turned sides of the drum or reel H. The disk of lignum vitaemarked I is fixed by being screwed on to the plate K. One turn of the handle L will relieve the brake, leaving a resistance of about 10 lbs. to the egress of the wire.

The handle L is connected to the spindle on each sideof the machine byforming the terminal enlargement of the spindle C with two bridge pieces Z and Z in lieu of one as hitherto, into which the end of the handle L is inserted and is rigidly clamped into position by a thumb screw m mounted at the outer end.

1" is a dial at the top of the apparatus and s is a pointer. t are screws located at the bottom of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

Claims:

1'. In a navigational sounding machine, the combination with the reel having a re cess on either side of its central portion, and the reel-spindle having a screw-threaded portion at one side of the reel, of a disk of lignum vitae loosely mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and within the reel recess, a fixed disk of lignum vitae mounted on the spindle at the other side of the reel and within the recess, and a nut non-rotatably mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and adapted to force the loose disk against the side of the reel upon rotation of the spindle.

2. In a navigational sounding machine, the combination with the reel having a recess on either side of its central portion, and the reel-spindle having a screw-threaded por tion at one side of the reel, of a disk of lignum vitae loosely mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and within the reelrecess, a fixed disk of lignum vitae mounted on the spindle at the other side of the reel and within the recess, a nut non-rotatably mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and adapted to force the loose disk against the side of the reel upon rotation of the spindle, and springs interposed between said loose disk and said nut.

3. In a navigational sounding machine, the combination with the reel having arecess on either side of its central portion, and the reel-spindle having a screw-threaded portion at one side of the reel, of a disk of lignum vitae loosely mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and within the recess, a iiXed disk of lignum vitae mounted on the spindle at the other side of the reel and within the recess, a nut nonrotatably mounted on the screw-threaded portion of the spindle and adapted to force the loose disk against the side of the reel upon rotation of the spindle, a pair of bridge-pieces on either end of the spindle, a pair of handles inserted in said bridge-pieces, and thumb-screws for rigidly clamping the handles on the bridge-pieces.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto afliXed our signature.

In presence of- JOHN LIDDLE, AGNES MAoklNrosn. 

